What I Learned from My Overwhelm Detox

For me, the Overwhelm Detox is how I complete an annual review of my daughter's lifelong medical history. If this was your first time compiling all of your child’s information in this way, you will be that much more prepared to periodically review it all. Feel free to jump into any future Overwhelm Detoxes I run to do a complete review.

For me, the Overwhelm Detox is always eye opening. We have come so far with my daughter, and yet I continue to see opportunities for improvement in how we work with her to get the best results. Although the review takes time out of my already cramped schedule, I'm always glad when I get clarity about what opportunities we should investigate further, what treatments or therapies we should stop and which ones we should double down on to get the best results.

Celebrate Your Wins

I have been doing the overwhelm detox periodically for years now. This time around I took the time to really look to the past to see how far we've come. I reflected on over ten years of hard work, some ups and downs, and overall, great success.

If the Overwhelm Detox was your way to start organizing, then focus on the small wins. Ironically, the seemingly small wins often improve our child’s quality of life the most. For example, when my daughter got to the point that the seams in her socks weren’t causing a meltdown every morning before we could get out the door, it changed our whole morning experience. That small win was actually massive!

Take some time to celebrate all wins, big and small. When you look at the whole picture as opposed to the individual parts, you will have a better perspective on your accomplishments. This always gives me inspiration to keep on going.

Your New Decision-Making System Will Save You Time, Money, Effort and Heartache

One lesson I have learned along the way by reviewing my daughter’s medical records is that I sometimes decide to try a new treatment for my daughter based on my initial emotional response to learning about a new treatment or therapy. (You know, when you can't help but jump at the next shiny treatment or therapy because of the results others have had or because of a blog post you just read? Do you do that too?) This one is a hard lesson to learn without beating yourself up about it.

Doing an annual review helps me see the treatments and therapies we tried that either didn't work or that we were unable to execute on. In a few cases, the experiences were unavoidable—sometimes you have to try something before knowing it’s not the right choice. But in most cases, if I had been less emotional in my decision making and more methodical at assessing whether that particular option was right for MY child given her history, symptoms, etc., and whether I had the resources (time, money, family support, etc.) available to make it happen, then I likely would have made better, more informed choices.

Nobody is Perfect

It seems obvious, but going through this process is a reminder that I rarely get things right the first time. And that’s just fine. It’s part of the process. It highlights the importance of getting organized and reviewing our progress so we can get back on track.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for More

Most of us put doctors and other practitioners on a pedestal. Most of the time, it’s deserved. I have the utmost respect for many of those who have worked with my daughter and me over the years.

What I have been guilty of, especially in the beginning, was not asking for more. We pay for in-depth assessments, lab tests and regular visits. We are entitled to all the information we can get from our practitioners. Ask for copies of all lab results. Press for more explanation beyond the cursory, “Everything's fine,” or being handed a prescription or told, “Do such and such,” without a real explanation.

You deserve to know WHY your practitioner is making a recommendation. Because many practitioners seem to not have time in their schedule, we often accept the prescriptive nature of our visit without really understanding WHY we are asked to make a change. Knowing the WHY will not only help you better execute the advice, but it may prompt you to provide additional information that could change their recommendation entirely.

When I did a comprehensive review of my daughter’s history, I noticed that most of our unsuccessful efforts were partly due to me not pushing to get all the information I could. I didn’t get a good WHY, or what we could expect to achieve from following through with the recommendations.

Look for Opportunities

So many opportunities exist when you look for them! When you take the time to step back from the day-to-day and look at EVERYTHING all at once, you will find:

• • Opportunities to execute on the treatments and therapies that are working.

• • Opportunities to remove treatments and therapies that aren't working.

• Opportunities to work on areas that you didn’t realize have continuously had good results or areas that you now see are a concern for your child's progress.

Even after over ten years of working with my daughter, opportunities are still everywhere. A regular review will help you find opportunities for your child. Jump on the waitlist for the next Overwhelm Detox and I will take you through a review of your child’s care step-by-step the next time it’s offered. You too will be able to identify new opportunities for your child.